{"id":32006,"date":"2026-08-08T06:35:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=32006"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:35:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:35:35","slug":"obama-in-larry-david-show-revisits-tan-suit-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=32006","title":{"rendered":"Obama in Larry David Show Revisits Tan Suit Controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIn his HBO sketch series \u201cLife, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/larry-david\/\" id=\"auto-tag_larry-david\" data-tag=\"larry-david\">Larry David<\/a> travels throughout history, inserting his stubborn and curmudgeonly self into America\u2019s most pivotal moments. \u201cLawrence,\u201d as he\u2019s often called, fights in the trenches of World War I, heckles George Washington during his Farewell Address and defends Rosa Parks on a Montgomery bus (for all the wrong reasons, of course).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe show is produced by <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/barack-obama\/\" id=\"auto-tag_barack-obama\" data-tag=\"barack-obama\">Barack Obama<\/a> through his and Michelle Obama\u2019s Higher Ground banner. So it\u2019s only right that, in the series finale, Obama stepped in to reexamine the most historically important moment in his presidency. Not the killing of Osama bin Laden, the Iran Nuclear Deal or the legalization of same-sex marriage. No, something far more momentous and presidency-defining: the time he ignited a media firestorm by wearing a tan-colored suit to a 2014 press conference about ISIS. (The sartorial choice, which has its own Wikipedia page, saw Obama lambasted as \u201cunpresidential,\u201d was criticized by news outlets ranging from the New York Times to GQ to Fox News.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tObama appeared in the first episode of \u201cLife, Larry\u201d to help introduce the show. But when David and co-creator Jeff Schaffer told the former president they wanted him to act in a sketch, he and Higher Ground executive producer Ethan Lewis came up with the idea to relitigate the tan suit debacle. \u201cFrom the very beginning, my dream was to close the book on the tan suit once and for all,\u201d Lewis says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tSchaffer and David then devised a \u201cCurb Your Enthusiasm\u201d-like revisionist history in which David (appearing to play himself) is the one to blame for the fashion crime. In the sketch, Obama is preparing for the press conference while a mango smoothie sits on the Resolute Desk. When David asks for a sip, Obama turns him down to avoid \u201cold lips\u201d on his straw. When the president finally leaves the Oval Office, David goes to steal a sip of the smoothie, and he ends up spilling it all over the navy blue suit Obama planned to wear. When POTUS returns, David frantically tries to divert his attention away from the mess. \u201cI think you should wear the tan suit to the press conference,\u201d he says, insisting it\u2019s \u201ccasual Friday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tObama obliges, and tries on the lighter suit, causing David to deliver his classic, \u201cprettay good\u2026 prettay\u2026 prettay\u2026 prettay\u2026 prettay good.\u201d He assures Obama, \u201cPeople are going to be talking about this for a long, long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  size-large alignnone \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure  lrv-u-font-family-secondary u-color-medium-grey lrv-u-border-b-1 u-border-color-light-grey-tint-two u-margin-b-150 lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:1024px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-variety-2020\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/barack-obama_ddd29e.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/barack-obama_ddd29e.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/barack-obama_ddd29e.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/barack-obama_ddd29e.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/barack-obama_ddd29e.jpg?resize=1360,907 1360w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/barack-obama_ddd29e.jpg?resize=1000,667 1000w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/barack-obama_ddd29e.jpg?resize=910,607 910w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/barack-obama_ddd29e.jpg?resize=681,454 681w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/barack-obama_ddd29e.jpg?resize=450,300 450w, https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/barack-obama_ddd29e.jpg?resize=250,167 250w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 250px\" height=\"683\" width=\"1024\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column lrv-u-padding-t-1 lrv-u-padding-b-1\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"u-color-medium-grey u-font-family-neue-xxs\">Art Streiber \/ HBO<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tSchaffer tells <em>Variety<\/em> that directing Obama was \u201cone of the coolest things I\u2019ve ever gotten the chance to do.\u201d\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s so cool being around him. You feel smarter and better, somehow, by just being in the area,\u201d Schaffer says. \u201cHe had some great improv stuff. His comic timing was impeccable. He was a good actor, not just as a former president, but, like, as an actor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tSchaffer, who has worked with David since the \u201cSeinfeld\u201d days, was amused by watching Obama give the septuagenarian comedian notes. \u201cThe funny thing was watching him go, \u2018Larry, you\u2019re coming in late!\u2019 He was the president, so he\u2019s used to telling people what to do. Larry was in the odd position of being told what to do, which never happens on a Larry set.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe most nerve-wracking part of directing a former president?<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cThe first thing was: What do I call this man?\u201d Schaffer says. \u201cI\u2019m directing and things are moving fast, and I have to remember, \u2018Sir, let\u2019s do that one more time.\u2019 Or, \u2018Hold on, Mr. President.\u2019 I didn\u2019t want to screw things up and go, \u2018Hey, Barack.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe Oval Office stage was crafted by the Obamas\u2019 interior designer Michael S. Smith, who led the 2010 makeover of the real White House room. Smith perfected the layout and furniture of the space, so much so that when Obama walked in, he said, \u201cThis is unbelievable. It looks just like it was when I was here,\u201d Schaffer remembers. The attention to detail extended even to Obama\u2019s on-screen aide, played by his real-life Director of Oval Office Operations Brian Mosteller.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tAccording to Schaffer, just as surreal as directing the former president was chatting with him during the downtime of the four-hour shoot. \u201cYou\u2019re just sitting in the Oval Office with President Obama, hearing him talk about stuff,\u201d he says. \u201cHe\u2019s got some funny theories.\u201d He relays one of Obama\u2019s most memorable takes: \u201cNo one should be using ketchup after age 12. That\u2019s a child\u2019s condiment. It\u2019s just sugar. Use mustard! Use an adult condiment!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tLewis, who joined Higher Ground in 2022 and serves as its head of non-fiction and sports, concurs: \u201cThe banter was phenomenal. Being a fly on the wall in that room was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tDespite Schaffer\u2019s praise of his acting chops, Lewis doesn\u2019t think the ex-POTUS will be rushing to add more credits to his IMDb page. \u201cPresident Obama doesn\u2019t have a great desire to make that career pivot, but it was very fun [to watch him act] and I\u2019m glad it worked out for the show,\u201d Lewis says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cLife, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness\u201d was billed as a seven-episode limited series celebrating the 250th anniversary of America. Still, Lewis and Schaffer would love to extend the show. \u201cI think it\u2019s done well, and we all have a lot of fun making it,\u201d Lewis says. \u201cUltimately, that\u2019ll land at the feet of Larry and HBO to keep going, but I\u2019d love to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThough, for Obama\u2019s own good, perhaps he should spend some time away from David. \u201cThe president said, \u2018I have fun being annoyed by Larry, and when we get together, I realize I start sounding like him,\u2019\u201d Schaffer says. \u201cLarry is sucking him into his black hole of negativity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In his HBO sketch series \u201cLife, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness,\u201d Larry David travels throughout history, inserting his stubborn and curmudgeonly self into America\u2019s most pivotal moments. \u201cLawrence,\u201d as he\u2019s often called, fights in the trenches of World War I, heckles George Washington during his Farewell Address and defends Rosa Parks on a Montgomery&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/larry-david-barack-obama.jpg?crop=0px%2C53px%2C1920px%2C1080px&resize=1000%2C563","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32006\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}